Spring-fan.



PATENTED SEPTL17, 1907. 1). ROBERTI. SPRING PAN.

I APPLICATION FILED H2126, 1901. 0 #1 ATT NEY m: mmrus PEiERS co, wAsmuarou, 0. c4

UNITED STATES DARIO ROBERTI, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

SPRING-FAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed February 26, 1907. Serial No. 359.424.

panying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved fan motor,

and is designed to provide a motor of this kind that employs a multiplicity of springs, whereby they can be allowed to unwind slower on account of the greater power they impart to the fan, and the improved device also consists in a novel means for winding the motor so that the different springs are simultaneously wound.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device, .of this kind, in which the mechanism for winding the spring is separated from the fan itself so that when the springs are unwinding to drive the fan, there is no rotation of the parts used to wind the springs.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a sectional view of a fan partly broken away, also showing the winding mechanism. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2, 2, in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a section on line 3, in Fig. 1.

I employ, in this device, a suitable base 10 in which is installed the support 11 for the train of gearing to drive the fan. Depending centrally from this base portion 10 and the support 11, is a hub or thimble 12 into which is screwed the tubular member 13 which extends downward the required length, and is supplied, on the bottom, with ball-bearings 14 secured by a suitable retainer 15, in which rotates the shaft 16. The shaft 16, on its bottom, is provided with members 17, these members having fitted into them the ends of the blades 18 of the fan.

I prefer to secure the shaft 16 to a balance wheel 19 which assists in the rotation, after the machine is started. Fitting into the top of the shaft 16, and preferably secured thereto by means of a squared end, is a rod 20, this rod being used to impart motion to the shaft 16, and being driven by suitable gearings, to be described hereinafter.

I employ any number of springs 21 to propel the fan, but I show, in the illustration, two of these being placed on opposite sides of the centralrod 20. Each of these springs is connected by a suitable train of gearing 22 to drive the rod 20, and on each of the springs 21, secured to the center thereto and actuated thereby on its unwinding, is a shaft 23, and on each shaft 23 is a beveled gear 24. Connected to each beveled gear is a rod 26, and these rods have, on the ends next to the beveled gears 24, the gears 27 which mesh with the gears 24. On the other end these rods 26 are provided with the miter gears 28 which mesh with a gear 29 placed on the top of a shaft 30. This shaft 30 is the winding shaft, and is fitted in suitable bearings, the bearing 31, at the bottom, having a right-angled fixture within which is arranged a miter gear 32 on the shaft 30 which meshes with a second gear 33, this gear 33 being adapted to be operated by a lever 34 which is provided with a handle 35 for its manual operation. It will thus be seen that when the handle 35 is operated, the motion is transmitted through the mechanism just described to operate simultaneously the two gear wheels 24, and when the winding is completed, the fan will revolve until the springs are again unwound.

On account of the gearing which increases the speed to a great extent, the fan will run for a long time before it is necessary to wind it up again. To further facilitate the rotation I provide a fly Wheel 41 on the top of the rod 20. When the springs are unwinding, and the shaft is being rotated, I desire to prevent the rotation of the winding mechanism, and to this end I provide the shaft 30 within the bearing 31, with a pair of annular grooves 36. Adapted to fit in these grooves and to be withdrawn therefrom, is a slide catch 37 which is normally held in engagement by the spring 38which is secured at 39, and is preferably provided with a finger piece 40 on its end. Thus when the winding is completed, the finger piece 40 and the catch 37 .are

withdrawn, and the shaft 30 can be lifted to put the gear wheels 28 and the miter wheel 29 out of mesh, and

i it is held this way by reason of the catch 37 being allowed to spring into the lowergroove 36. It will thus be seen that none of the winding mechanism beyond the rods 26 will be rotated, while the springs are unwinding, to operate the shaft. When it is desired to again wind the springs, the finger piece 40 of the spring 38 is operated, the shaft 30 allowed to drop into the position shown in Fig. 1, and the device is again ready for winding.

This construction makes a cheap device, and one that will not use up a great deal of money in maintaining it, and is adapted for the use of a small trader or for home purposes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:-

1. A spring-operated fan, comprising a base, a shaft journaled in the base, a fan on the projecting end of the shaft, a series of driving springs secured in the base and being disposed about the shaft with their axes parallel to the shaft, a train of gearing connecting each spring with the shaft to operate it, a separate winding means connected to each spring, and a single manually operated mechanism for operating the several winding means simultaneously.

2. A spring-operated fan, comprising a base, a shaft rotatably arranged in the base, a fan on the projecting end of the shaft, a series of springs in the base between the shaft and the sides of the base, disposed about the shaft, trains of gearing connecting the springs to the shaft to operate it, an independent winding means on each spring, a single mechanism for simultaneously oper ating the several winding means, and means for disconnecting said mechanism from the winding means when the winding is complete.

3. A, spring-operated fan, comprising a base, a shaft mounted to rotate therein, a fan on the projecting end of the shaft, a series of springs arranged between the shaft and the sides of the base and disposed about the shaft, a train of gearing connecting each spring to the shaft to drive it, a gear connection on each spring, a winding shaft having a gear connection, rods connecting the gear connection of the winding shaft with the gear connections of the springs, means for manually operating the wind ing shaft, the winding shaft being adapted to be-operated longitudinally to disconnect the gear connection on it, and means for maintaining the shaft in its different positions.

4. In a spring driven fan, a winding device comprising a winding shaft, means fo rmanually rotating the shaft,

a bearing for the shaft, the shaft having annular grooves DARIO ROBERTI.

Witnesses WM. II. CAMFIELD, E. A. PnLL. 

